The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed yesterday urged the government to rebury all the seven Bir Shreshthas in a single compound so that people could pay their homage to all the valiant freedom fighters at a time.

"I have made a request to the Chief Adviser (CA) in this regard and he accordingly agreed," the Army Chief said while receiving donations from various organisations and individuals for the cyclone survivors at Dhaka Cantonment here.

General Moeen suggested the National Memorial at Savar as a probable site for reburial of the Bir Shresthas, who made supreme sacrifice for the independence of the country.

He said the Army have succeeded in ensuring food and water for every cyclone-victim in the affected areas immediately after the disaster hit the country's southern part and now time has come to rehabilitate the victims.

The Army Chief said different organisations and individuals have so far donated Taka 18.36 crore to the army's relief fund including the today's contribution. Of the total amount, Taka 5,14,3600 have been distributed among the affected people, he added.

"We have bought boats and fishing nets with the donation on an emergency basis for distribution among the affected fishermen so that they could again go back to the sea for fishing, he said, adding "besides, we have spent a portion of the donation for agriculture rehabilitation."

The Army have already sent 18,000 blankets to the affected areas of which 15,000 were distributed.

"Warm stuffs are very much needed in the affected areas as winter has begun early there," he said and added that if "we could give at least one blanket to each affected family the cyclone survivors will be greatly benefited."

Describing food deficiency as a major challenge, the Army Chief said the country is facing a shortfall of 20 lakh metric tons of food grains because of the two recent devastating floods and the cyclone 'Sidr'.

'To make up for the shortfall, farmers need to work hard in coming days and all concerned including the army have to keep vigil so that seeds and fertilizers could reach the farmers in time.

General Moeen U Ahmed said in the last 36 years no government faced three consecutive natural disasters in one year, but the present government has to come across such calamities.

If we all both at home and abroad work together, we could recover the losses, he said.

The army personnel deployed in the cyclone-hit areas would not return to their normal duties until the affected people were rehabilitated properly, he added.

Reading materials are being bought on an emergency basis for the next SSC candidates in the affected areas as the cyclone destroyed those completely.

"I personally requested the Chief Adviser to defer the date for the SSC examination under Jessore and Barisal education boards for a minimum period of one month to help the candidates take preparation in the affected areas," said the Army Chief.

Forty-three organisations and individuals today donated Taka 24,912,000 in cheques and various relief materials to the army's relief fund.

The donors included Akiz Group Taka 50 lakh, BKMEA and Standard Bank Westin Taka 10.94 lakh each, Sea Mark BD, Sandhani Life Insurance Company and Bangladesh CNG Felling Station and Owner Association Taka 10 lakh each, Brigadier General Qazi Anwarul Islam on behalf of BNCC Taka 9.47 lakh and relief materials, Joint Secretary Brigadier General Shah Sultan Uddin Iqbal personally Taka 1 lakh, Bangladesh Football Federation Taka 9.02 lakh, Bangladesh Jewelers' Association Taka 7.75 lakh, Concord Group Taka 7.5 lakh, Electro Mart Taka 7 lakh, Radisson Water Garden and SHDL and Islamic Foundation Toronto Canada Taka 5 lakh each, Toronto University Students Union 9000 Canadian dollar and Moulvibazar Merchant Association Dhaka Taka 3 lakh and various relief materials.

Besides, Gulshan Central Mosque, Muhammad Trading, Gulshan Spinning Mills, Probashi Palli, Pandora Fashion, Naryanganj Rifles Club, Bijoynagar Purana Paltan Line Welfare Society, Rajuk Uttra Model College, Royal Int., Mannan Brose, merchants of Rajanigandha Supermarket, Segunbagicha Society, Essential Drugs Company, Crystal Wears, Jonta Club, Young One Group, Uttara Morning Walkers Association, Purabi Jewelers, Allauddin Ahmed, Shahina Akhter Ruma, Eng. Munshi Imamul Hossain, M Siddiqur Rahman, Dr M Sirajuddin and Professor M Hellal Uddin also donated cash and relief materials.